Maslaha

A technical term in fiqh, or Islamic jurisprudence, which refers to the benefit in a cost-benefit analysis – on the level of the individual, the social order, or the Ummah. This is usually done by the ruler or a judge who determines some benefit for the Muslim community. This potentially has ramifications such as making something that is merely permissible into something obligatory, making the haraam into halal or the halal into haraam and so forth. The details of how this is determined is discussed by scholars in the science of usool al-fiqh (the principles of jurisprudence.)

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